Wednesday, July 7, 2010

1) A reminder: Please always wear a bike helmet when riding outdoors. You do not have to be Lance Armstrong to crash on a bike. Take it from me who took a spill last Saturday while wrapping up a solo training ride thinking the hard part was over. Surprise! Hitting the asphalt hurts more than riding in 15-20mph headwinds for 20 miles.

Luckily, my injuries were relatively minimal, just minor road rash and some bumps and bruises, and the damage to my bike was mostly cosmetic. My poor helmet, however, was toast.

A cracked or broken helmet is no longer safe to use and should be replaced.

So that now makes a total of four, FOUR bike helmets that I have gone through. But the good news: ZERO head injuries! Although some may question my sanity at times ...

2) Feeling the summer heat? Check out this USAT article called Nutrition for the Heat which explains some basics about training in heat & humidity and provides some useful tips. The part in goal #1 about heat preacclimitization, however, you can ignore as there is plenty of heat right now every day. But practicing your nutrition and training your stomach is good advice. Remember, the longer the race and hotter the conditions, the more important nutrition becomes. If anyone has additional tips for beating the heat, feel free post them in the comments.

2
comments:

I just want to say AMEN to that. I have a dear friend who was severely injured in a bike accident right before she was supposed to go to Harvard on scholarship for her PhD. The only thing that saved her life was her bike helmet. Her pelvis was shattered, her femur was broken, and she had extensive damage to her wrist. She also suffered minor head injuries including some brain damage. BUT, she survived the accident and went on to get her PhD at Harvard. Every time I see someone riding without a helmet, I want to shake them and show them Wendy's X-rays:

Thanks for sharing the story about your friend, Andrea. So glad she survived and was able to go on to get her PhD. There are two other teammates I know of who've crashed on their bikes recently and both them were injured far worse than me but both were wearing helmets and are going to be OK. I know bike helmets are hot to wear and they mess up your hair but they save lives. I wear mine even if I go for a short spin around the block just to test an adjustment I made on my bike. Better safe than sorry.

* Please bring your bike and trainer to spin class if you have one as there are only 26 spin bikes in our facility.

Both Crews:
Monthly field trips on weekends to do long rides, brick (bike and run) workouts and open water swims as a group.

Looking to improve your overall health and performance? Want to swim, bike or run with others in East Orlando? If so, this club is for you! Triathletes come in all shapes and sizes and we cater to individuals of any fitness level - from beginners to advanced. Most of our members are relatively inexperienced in at least one discipline when they start out. This club is here to help motivate and coach you to achieve your fitness goals. Come join us - It's FREE!!! (You do need to be a YMCA member.)

____________________

To get on our email list for the latest updates on practices & what to bring, or to ask questions, send an email to stroz0045@hotmail.com. For more info about the Blanchard Park YMCA, click here

Where do I begin? Natalie was the girl who looked at us and pointed saying we were all crazy for wanting to swim, bike, and run. She thought it was just too much. Now look at her....She's a TRIATHLETE herself! I love this. Natalie, you have a story for the people who think they can't do this. You've done it and you do it well. I appreciate how much you push yourself to do your best. You surprise yourself and I see you having more and more confidence in your abilities at each practice and in each race. Thank you for making me proud to say 'I coach her.' I look foward to your seasons coming up as I get to witness you achieve the unthinkable and do the impossible. You are a hero to all of us.
Coach Jacklynn